Fortoj Armitaj Revoluciaj de Koburo
The Fortoj Armitaj Revoluciaj de Koburo (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Cobura) are a paramilitary group based within the Republic of Cobura. They are the military wing of the Revolutionary Party of Cobura. History The FARK started off as the 'Orange Brigade', the military wing of the Socialist Workers Party. They mainly provided security for party leaders and other members. Eventually however the group expanded to a point where they were organised into community defence committees. In the Keymon crisis, many of the Orange Brigade volunteered to fight off the Likatonian invasion. It was in Keymon that the future tactics and strategies of the FARK were formed, and when the soldiers returned to Cobura they began to reorganise their militia. Following the disintegration of the SWP in the 2310s, the Orange Brigade also fell apart as an organisation, though the community defence committees remained. They would form the core of the FARK, when the paramilitary was reformed in 2469 under the leadership of Erik von Witzland. As the Socialist Workers Party returned, this time as the Revolutionary Party, the Orange Brigade was revived, and was designated the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Cobura. The new force met opposition from the Coburan establishment, who immediately branded the FARK as terrorists. The conflict eventually boiled over into the Coburan Civil War in which the FARK won its right to exist as a paramilitary forces. The civil war illustrated how useful the tactics learned in Keymon had been, as the FARK outfought and outmanoeuvred their opponents. Eventually, even the Coburan Army recognised the effectiveness of the FARK's strategies and adopted many of their methods and ideas, most highlighted by the creation of the 'Infiltration Service'. A second civil war arrived in April of 2596. During the conflict the FARK fought alongside the secessionist government of Dilganato, helping to bring about a peace treaty in 2604 following the defeat of the Coburan Armed Forces. The peace was short lived and the war resumed a few years later, with the Coburan Armed Forces enlisting the help of the Jelbanian military. The FARK held on to Dilganato in spite of the indiscriminate attacks by the Jelbanian navy and airforce - who deliberately attacked civilian areas in the hopes of eliminating ground support for the FARK. Activites Community Service In many poorer communities throughout Cobura the FARK provides services and help where the government fails to do so. In addition to providing the homeless with shelter and food, pioneering work has been achieved by the FARK in the area of drug addict treatment, with the creation of several 'Harm Reduction Centres' throughout the country. These HRC's have significantly improved the physical, mental and economic situations of drug addicts who participated, slashing fatality rates to zero and helping them find a job and housing. They also host many community events, and provide funding for community projects. Drug trafficking The FARK is allegedly involved in drug trafficking outside of Cobura. Narcotics, principally cocaine, are grown and produced within Cobura and then sold wholesale to organised crime groups throughout Terra. The Coburan Customs Agency estimates that the wholesale of drugs to nations with criminalisation policies gives the FARK a multi-billion COB income. It is believed that the FARK launders the money through the use of several front companies, and marks down some of the inflow as 'private donations'. Structure The FARK is divided into two main branches; the Proletarian Guard, and the People's Militia. Proletarian Guard The Proletarian Guard is considered the elite of the FARK and as such only accepts the highest quality of recruits. In addition to exceptional physical requirements and good educational skills, a commitment to Libertarian Socialist ideology is needed to pass selection. All new recruits are trained in an undisclosed location hidden in the Dilganato countryside. The leader of the FARK assigns troops from the Proletarian Guard to the Revolutionary Guard battalion, a unit designated with protecting the leader of the Revolutionary Party of Cobura. In addition to recieving the best recruits, the Proletarian Guard also receives the best weapons, including a sizeable number of armoured personnel carriers and tanks. People's Militia The People's Militia are the local paramilitaries who together form the People's Divisions. They are regarded as being the 'regulars' of the FARK and recruitment conditions are not as strict as with the Proletarian Guard. Recruits are usually trained at a local barracks, and perform some form of community service during their training. Armed with mostly light infantry weapons, the People's Militia is used in an asymmetrical warfare role - in contrast to the Proletarian Guard, who fight in a more conventional manner. Order of Battle The FARK is organised along the following lines, *Proletarian Guard Corps **1st Proletarian Guard Division 'Ernst Faber' **2nd Proletarian Guard Division 'Roger Delevan' **3rd Proletarian Guard Division 'Erik von Witzland' ***Revolutionary Guard Battalion The People's Militia are divided into several fronts: *Revolutionary Front of Irkawa *Revolutionary Front of Egato *Revolutionary Front of Domale *Revolutionary Front of Tokundi *Revolutionary Front of Dilganato The Proletarian Guard Corps and its divisions were previously designated the 'Revolutionary Guard', but now that designation is given to a single battalion which acts as a bodyguard unit for the Revolutionary Party of Cobura leader. Category:Cobura